Guard for cigar cutters



E. W. GATES GUARD FOR CIGAR GUTTERS Jan. 15, 1924.

Filed Dec. l4 1922 $01 lllllll :l

. x a I jnvnTar: ErnaiZZllGais in /15W 2% m V Patented Jan. '15, 1924.

UNITED sT ATE S ERNEST ms 0 WRENTHAM, nasseen z s. I

GUARD non arena oo rrnns.

Application filed December 14,1922. .SeriaI No, 606,850,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST W. GA'rEs, a

citizen of the United States, residing at,

lease the knife and cause it to clip off thepointed end. Thearrangement'is such that the tip of a finger inserted carelessly in saidorifice is liableto be clipped off. Accidents of this kindarennotuncommon, particularly when children experiment with the cutter.

The object of the invention is to provide a guard which isself-attaching tothe top plate, without change or modification of anypart of the cutter, and'without the'emplloyment' of positive fasteningmeans, the guard being adapted to receive the major portion of a cigarand prevent the possibility of the insertion of a finger tip in theorifice, and

also adapted to be quickly installed onthe cutter without liability ofaccidental dis-- placement. 7

Another object is to provide a guard characterized as above stated, andadapted to be moved endwise and actuate the letoff means, withoutrequiring pressure on the cigar to accomplish this result, so thatliability of injuring the wrapper by pressure thereon is prevented.

I accomplish these and other related objects by the improved guardconstruction hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanyingdrawings forming a t part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a guard embodying the invention.

Figure 2 shows, partly in section and partly in elevation, acigar-cutter of well known construction, and, in section, the

uard of my invention engaged with the top plate of the cutter.

* g e-3. a fragmentary View Similarto portions of Figure 2,,showing' theguard depressed to actuatethe let-ofi means.

.1 The same reference characters in catethe :same parts in all thefigures.

'In the drawings, a represents theasin of an automatic cigar cutterhaving a top plate in WhlGh 1s a. c gar-receiving;orlfioe be Within thecasing and; spaced; below the orifice is a horizontally, monable,clipp'ing knife 0, actuated by a spr ng, not-shown- Interposed between.the path ''of the knif and the top plate is a member d aQi' "W19?" off"mechanism, said memb r ha ing a smaller orifice form d tQiIcceive thepointed end portion-0f a cigar ff, the memb 6 being normally supportedin Ethe position shown by Figure 2, with; its upper side slightlyspacedbelow the top plate,andits lower side vslightlyspaced above thepath O the knife. The member 01 is movable downward by the pressure ofthe "cigar upon it, to. the *position shown by Figure-,3, :thi smovement causingthe knife to'clip off the pointed end of the cigar. j

The construction and arrangement are such that: whenv the memblerjd isdepressed,

the knife, previously. restrained atone end of its path, is.releasedan-d is forced across the agar toclip off its pointed end, the;cut- 'ter being then automatically set' for-the next action. V j v s Incarrying out myainventioniyl: provide- 9,

self-attaching guard, composed of a cigarreceiving tube, havingresilient means at one end, adapted to yieldingly engage the said topplate around the orifice b, and support the tube w1th its major portionprojecting above the top plate sufliciently to prevent the insertion ofa finger tip in said orifice. In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown, the tube, which is prefer-.

ably seamless, is made of thin resilient metal. The outer portion 12-ofthe tube is continuous, and is adapted to be grasped to manipulate thetube in engaging it with the top plate, and in subsequently exertingendwise pressure upon it, to depress the member 03, as indicated byFigure 3.

I The inner end portion of the tube is peripherally discontinuous, andis composed of a plurality of resilient tongues 13, which are inclinedrelative to the axis of the tube, and are bent outward at their freeends to form radial ears 14.

The tongues are spaced apart, as shown, so .that the discontinuous endportion is adapted to be compressed by inward pressure on the tonguesuntil the ears 14 are adapted to pass through the orifice b. When theears are below the top plate, the release of the compressing pressurepermits 7 the tongues to spring outward, and bear yieldingly on the wallof the orifice b, the ears 14 being at the same time caused to bear onthe under side of the top plate, as shown by Figure 2. The tube is thusengaged with .the top plate in such manner that it is firmly supportedin a position perpendicular to said plate, and is not liable to beaccidentally tipped. There is a sufiicient space between the member dand the top plate to receive the ears 14;, as shown by Figure 2.

The diameter of the tube is preferably such that a cigar may be insertedloosely in the tube, without necessarily contacting therewith.

The described connection between the tube and the top plate permits aslight endwise depression of the tube from the position shown by Figure2, to that shown by Figure 3, so that the member d may be depressedwholly by pressure exerted on the tube, Without the usual pressure onthe cigar, which is liable to injure the wrapper. When pressure on thetube is released, the tube is restored to the position shown by Figure2,

by the upward movement of the member (Z from the position shown byFigure 3.

The external surface of the tube may be provided with lines 16,representing portions of cigar wrappers, so that the tube simulates abunch of cigars. This simulation may be heightened by coloring the saidexternal surface like a cigar wrapper.

Advertising matter may be placed on the external surface of the tube.

I have found that, while it is a comparatively easy matter to engage thetube with the top plate, separation of the tube from the plate isconsiderably more difiicult.

It will be seen that the described guard is adapted to be quickly. andconveniently engaged with the top plate of a standard cigar-cutter,without any change or adapta- 2. A self-attaching guard forcigar-cutters, composed of a tube adapted to receive a cigar, andprovided at one end portion with resilient tongues, adapted toyieldingly en age the top plate of a cigar-cutter, around tie margin ofa cigar-receiving orifice therein.

3. A self-attaching guard for cigar-cutters, composed of a tube adaptedtoreceive a cigar, one end portion of the tube being composed ofresilient tongues inclined rel ative to the axis of the tube, and bentoutward at their free ends, said tongues being adapted to yieldinglyengage the top plate of a cigar-cutter, around the margin of acigar-receiving orifice therein.

4. A self-attaching guard for cigar-cutters, composed of acigalrsreceiving tube, provided at one end portion with means for.slidably and yieldingly engaging the- I top plate of a cigar-cutter,around a clgarreceiving orifice therein, the arrangement being such thatsaid tubeis capable of a limlted endwise movement to actuate a member ofthe cutter.

In testimony whereof- I have affixed my signature.

ERNEST W. GATES.

